Apparatus and method for distilling wood.



'P. & G. M. POPE. APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR DISTILLING WOOD.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1, 1910. -v v PatentedJune 18, 1912.

I WITNESSES' iunrrnn i sra rns Farmer @FFME.

rnnnzsnicx POPE, on NEW ronic, N. Y., AND ononen at. POPE, or MOUNT rnnnsnn'r,

ono'acin; SAID GEORGE M. POPE ASSIGNOR 'ro ELLA in". norm, or nosron, raassa- @HUSETTS.

noadoi'i.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 1, 1910. Serial No. 564,344.

APPARATUS AND METHOD FOItDISTILLING- WOOD.

To all whom it may cdncem: Be it known that we, FREDERICK Porn, a

' resident of New York, in the county of New iforkand State of New York, and George M. Porn, a resident of Mount Pleasant, 1n

the county of Wayne, State of Georgia, have invented a new and useful Improvement in h paratus and Methods for Distilling cod, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to apparatus and method for distillingwood, and more particularly for distilling coniferous wood such as pine wood, for the purpose of extractin therefrom spirits of turpentlne, pine o1 pitch and other valuable products.

: The general obiectot the invention is to provide for circulating a hot bat-hover the wood and b means of which the products may be distilled from the wood in greater ,Qauantities, in less time, with less waste, and

at a less cost than with prior methods and apparatus, and without injury to the fiber or structure of the wood.

The specific object of the invention is to provide apparatus and a method whereby loss of heat is prevented, whereby the solution of the desired products in the bath is largely prevented, and whereby such products as are dissolved in the bath are distilled therefrom as soon as possible, thereby reducing waste. v

Generally stated, the invention requires a retort for the reception of the wood to be treated with a bath provided with perforated steam pipes placed above the level of the top of the wood to be treated, andv with an outlet for the bath some distanceabove the level of the steam pipes, together with the'necessary heating and circulatingepQ of the retort.

The principal new part of the apparatus is the retort]. which maybe constructed of any suitable material, such as cast orboiler iron or concrete and in any suitable way;

the-drawipg not showing anydeteils often. 1

struction. The retort is preferably 'ofcousiderable length as compared with'its width, and arranged to receive the-wood to be reated in cars which are run into and out of the retort through openings closed by doors 3. It is provlded with one ormore inlets 4: for the bath at its bottom; with one or more outlets 5 for the bath at its upper part; with one or more condenserconnections 6 and outlets for the desired products at its top, or at least above the outlets for the bath. Under each of the condenserout lets 6 is a bafiie plate 7 to prevent any spray or fine particles of the-bath being carried into the condenser by the vapor coming from the bath. It is also provided with perforated steam pipes 8 placed above the level of the top of the wood in the retort,

culating means for the bath, which, howeverfmay be similar to' ones now in use. As shown, the overflow pipe 5 leads from the retort to a storage tank 9. From the storage tank a pipe 10 leads to the pump 11, and from the pump thepipc 12 leads to the heating coil 13 in a suitable furnace 14, and thence pipes 15 and 16 lead to the inlet 4 of the retort. A valve 17 is provided in the pipe 16 and a by-pass pipe 18 provided with a valve 19 connects the pipe 15 directly with the storage tank. A drainage pipe-20 provided with a valve 21 connects the bottom of the retort with the storage tank. The outlets 6 are connected to a condenser or condensers 22. One or more healers, storage tanks, pumps and, condensers may be used in connection with one retort. The condenser is preferably connected with an air pump 23 or some other means for maintaining a partial vacuum in the condenser and retort. A grate 24: orother means is supplied for providing the heat in furnace 14 in carrying out the method described the operation of: the apparatus illustrated is as follows: Gal's loaded with the wood to be. treated are run into the retortl, and the doors 3 tightly closed. The pitch or other bath is in theitank 9 in a molten condition,

Patentedillunc lid, third.

r into the storage tank 9. Asthe hot bath passes over the wood, the desired products are extracted, or distilled by heat from the wood, some of them passing u through the bath as vapor and through t e outlet 6 to the condenser and some of them entering into solution in the bath. These products which have become dissolved in the bath are distilled therefrom by the action of the steam introduced through the perforated pipes 8 and the heat from the bath, as soon as they are above the level-of the steam pipes. The bath returns to the storage tank 9 and immediately goes into circulation again. 'After. the wood has been subjected to the action of the bath for the'necessary length of time, the valve 19 is opened, valve 17 closed and valve 21 opened, The pump continues in operation but the circulation is now from the storage tank through the pump, through the heater and through pipes 15 and 18 to the storage tank, and the bath in the retort is drained out through drainage pipe 20. The purpose of this circulation is to maintain the temperature of the bath while the charge of wood in the retort is being renewed. When the bath has been entirely drained from the retort the cars containing the wood are run out and cars with a fresh supply of wood are run in and the foregoing operation is repeated. The retort 1 therefore serves a double purpose;- the desired products being driven out or extracted from the wood in the lower part of said retort, in a homogeneous hot bath, and the products so derived from the wood are distilled from the bath in the upper part of said chamber, by a pure steam distillation method.

The great advantage of this form of apparatus is that it provides means by which wood may be subjected to a true distilling action by a homogeneous hot bath, so arranged that only a small amount of the products will enter into solution in the bath and so that such products as do enter into solution in the bath shall remain in solution for the smallest length of time possible. Furthermore, this apparatus makes possible the recovery of the maximum amount of products from the wood without resorting to the use of pressure. The steam does not come into contact with the wood, bein prevented from doing so by the upward movement of the bath in the retort and the natural tendency of steam to rise, and, further, bythe fact that the steam escaping from the perforated steam-pipes with considerable velocity is directed upwardly."

What we claim is:

1. Appartaus forobtaining products from wood, comprising a vessel for holding the 'Wood to be. treated; with a 'bath, provided with an inlet for the bath at the bottom, an outlet for the bathnearr the top, and an outlet for the products above the outlet for the bath, and perforated steam pipes located in said vessel above the.v level of the wood and below the level of the bath therein with the perforations arranged to direct the steam upwardly, whereby all currents in the vessel areu wardly. 2. Apparatus for obtaining products from wood, comprising a vessel 'for holding the wood to be treated witha bath, pror vided with an inlet for the bath at the bot- 5 tom, an outlet for the bath near the top, and an outlet for the roducts above the outlet for the bath, per orated steam pipes located in said vessel above the level of the wood and below the level of the bath therein, and circulating and heating means forthebath.

3. Apparatus for obtaining products from wood, comprising a vessel for holding the wood to be treated with a bath, provided 5 with an inlet for the bath at the bottom, an outlet for the bath near the top, and an outlet for the products above the outlet for the bath, perforated steam pipes located in said vessel above the level of the wood and below the level of the bath therein with the perforations arranged to direct the steam upwardly, whereby all currents in the vessel are upwardly, and circulating and heating means for the bath.

4. Apparatus for obtaining products from wood, comprising a vessel for holding the'wood to be treated with a bath, provided with an inlet for the bath at the bottom, an outlet for the bath near the top, and an outlet'fpr the products above the outlet for the bath, perforated steam pipes located in said vessel above the level of the wood and below the level of the bath therein, connections and means for circulating the bath from the outlet of said vessel to the inlet thereto, and means in said circulating 0011- ,j nections for heating the bath. p I 5. Apparatus for obtainingproduots from wood, comprising a vessel for holding the wood-to be treated with a bath, provided with an inlet for the bath at the bottom,- an outlet for the bath near the to ,and an outlet for the products above t e outlet for the bath, perforated steam pipes located in said vessel above the level of the wood and below the level of the bat-h therein, a

condenser connected tothe outlet for the products, and an exhauster eonnectedto said condenser.

6. The method of distilling Wood eonsist- 1 In testimony whereof, We have hereunto ing in placing the Wood in a closed vessel, circulating a hot bath through the vessel and over the Wood from the bottom up wardly, thereby distilling the desired products from the wood, introducing steam into the bath above the level of the wood and thereby distilling elf therefrom such of the products as have become dissolved therein, and drziwii ig the products out of the retort and into a condenser by suction.

' set our hands.

Witnesses for George M. Pope:

W M. RoeensoN, IRA M. RAYBON. 

